Degenerate Beauty Queens
by CurbItKirby
Summary: Erica gets paired up with the school's newest bad girl for a project and the two bond over their shared title of social pariahs. Set pre-season 2, pre-bite, Erica/OFC, Femslash.
1. Salty Sweet

Erica wasn't surprised that she had been partnered up with the new girl. She had been at a doctor's appointment the day Finstock had given the assignment. It wasn't like she had expected someone to volunteer to work with her- since that stupid Youtube video had gone viral, her hopes for even the most minimal human decency had completely diminished.

She glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye. Even with the library empty, Gloria seemed to radiate hostility. The girl was at a table by herself, scrolling through her iPod with an intense look of annoyance on her pale features. Erica bit her lip, recalling a few of the rumors about the aloof brunette. That she had been kicked out of her last school for fighting, for blinding a kid, for bringing a knife to school… _Stop it_, the blonde chided herself, trying to steel her nerves and remain positive, _you don't even know her. She's probably just as uncomfortable as you are._

Erica squared her shoulders. It was time to stop stalling. She hugged her books tightly to her chest and made her way over to her table. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe she hadn't seen the video or heard about her epilepsy. A small flicker of hope rose in her chest. Maybe she wouldn't care.

The blonde cleared her throat as she stood beside the new student. With a smile, the strongest she could manage, Erica offered her hand, "Hi, I'm-"

"Seizure girl," Gloria finished, choosing to ignore her hand in favor of wrapping the wires of her earbuds around her iPod. "I know."

"Oh." She let her hand fall back to her side. So much for getting to know the new girl.

The brunette looked up at her with stoic features, brown eyes dark and harsh in the library's bright lights. "Are we gonna do this or what?"

"Um, sure." Erica faltered under the stare, unnerved by the direct eye contact and her inability to read any amiable emotion in it. Just malice and irritation. It made the Reyes girl feel like she was being studied by the world's most disagreeable scientist as she slid into the chair diagonally across from her. "Did you have any ideas?"

Gloria shrugged, but thankfully shifted her gaze. Her heel bounced restlessly, each little click of the boot putting the blonde a bit more on edge as she spoke, "Dunno. Never really cared much for Economics."

"But you've taken the class before?"

Another shrug. Her eyes, rimmed in thick black liner, flickered around the room, never staying in one place too long before shifting again. "I never finished it."

A thousand different scenarios ran through Erica's head on why that could be. Gloria was maybe a year or two older than her, if she had to guess. When she turned that imposingly stoic glare back at her, the younger girl quickly dropped her gaze to her books. She heard the brunette give a huff of amusement, but didn't look up. Instead, Erica just uncapped her pen, "Well, we could…"

When her voice trailed off, Gloria tilted her head. In a slightly condescending tone, she prompted, "We could…?"

"We could start an online store." Erica blushed. "For whatever it was we were selling…get some sales that way."

"Hm." The brunette nodded. "Well, anything's better than going door to door."

The blonde winced as the other girl sniffed with disinterest. Biting her lip as her slender fingers fiddled with her pen, Erica explained, "Actually that's kind of a requirement…at least fifty local sales."

"I can get us fifty local sales."

Erica's brows rose with surprise, her eyes flickering over to the girl in front of her. Gloria's intense stare had shifted to her once again, her lips shifted in a malicious smirk that put the blonde on edge. In a small voice, Erica asked, "Really?"

"Mhm."

"Are you sure? I mean-"

Gloria sneered at her, baring her straight white teeth in a manner more akin to a growling dog than teenage girl. "I said I'll do it."

"Okay," Erica jotted a note down on the outline's margin. "We've got a month, so we don't have to figure out all the details right now…"

The dark haired girl arched a brow at her, "That your way of telling me I can go?"

"I… sure, if you want."

Gloria stood. She shrugged her leather jacket on, pulling her long brown hair out from her collar as she spoke, "When do you want to meet up again?"

"Um, whenever's good with you, I guess."

"Hm." Gloria grabbed her satchel and slung it over her shoulder. The worn black leather of it was just a touch lighter than her coat. "I got band practice just about every day after school."

Erica gathered her things, carefully tucking the page away in her notes before sliding her books into her backpack. "What lunch do you have?"

"Forth- and judging by the cringe, I'm guessing you have fifth." The brunette frowned.

With them both standing, and with Gloria in three inch boots, Erica felt incredibly frail. Perhaps it was the way the other girl was dressed- in ripped black pantyhose under a pair of obscenely short black denim cut-offs and her open jacket exposing a tank top that showed off the swell of her breasts. It seemed overtly sexual, almost hostile in its way and frankly it made Erica feel like a little girl by comparison. She swallowed, not wanting to be caught staring and slipped her backpack on.

"Well," Gloria went on, either ignorant to the younger girl's leering or perhaps ignoring it, "practice usually wraps up by five. We could meet up after, but my mom has a thing about having people over."

"The library closes at six…I guess we could meet at my place over the weekend," The blonde offered. The idea didn't exactly thrill her, but they didn't seem to have much of an option. She didn't exactly feel welcome in the local teen hang outs, nor were they the best place to study.

The brunette nodded, clearly just as unenthused as she was. Her eyes swept over Erica, taking in her heavy, shapeless sweatshirt and loose fitting mom jeans with a frown. Gloria glanced out the window only to find it was raining. With a sigh, she asked, "You got a ride?"

"What?"

"A ride." The girl grit out through clenched teeth as she avoided the younger girl's gaze. "Like a car or someone coming to get you?"

Erica laughed nervously, "Oh, no I was just gonna-"

"Come on." Gloria jerked her head, and crooked a finger in a demeaning, demanding way as she turned to leave.

The blonde shifted anxiously from foot to foot as her gaze went to from the girl's back to the window. It was still pouring rain and with her parents working late shifts and no money for the bus, she knew she'd either have to walk or accept a ride with the supposedly unstable girl in front of her.

The dark haired teen turned back in the doorway with an arched eyebrow and her gaze unsettlingly level as she drawled, "Well? You comin' or what, Blondie?"

Still a bit hesitant, Erica edged forward. "If you're sure, I'd really appreciate it."

Gloria seemed to falter at that, but the only response she gave was an indifferent shrug. Erica offered a weak smile in return and moved to join her. The two fell in step as they made their way through the long hall that led to the parking lot.

"So…" The younger girl fiddled with the hem of her baggie sweater. "You're in a band?"

Dark eyes flickered over to the blonde. "Yeah."

Erica didn't notice Gloria's gaze dropping to her anxious fingers as she cleared her throat. "Oh."

"How 'bout you?"

"What about me?"

Her shoulder lifted absently, tone just as apathetic and curt as it had been all day as she asked if Erica had any interests outside school. "You know," she added as an afterthought, "besides epilepsy."

"That's not really an interest." Erica scowled, her brows furrowing as they stopped at the doors. The light that shone through the glass doors was dim, but the brunette still caught the shamed blush that crossed the blonde's features.

Gloria didn't resist the urge to smirk at it. It was kind of cute. Instead of commenting, she just pulled the door open and gestured for her to take the lead. At least, she did until a thought struck her and she grabbed the blonde by the arm. Erica's whole body tensed, body jerking away from the other girl, but the brunette didn't notice. She shoved her bag against the shorter girl's chest. Erica fumbled with it, the worn leather soft under her fingers as Gloria stripped out of her coat. For a moment, the blonde was completely bewildered- did she expect her to carry it for her? Is that what was happening? But before the thought could really sink in, the satchel was snatched from her hands and slung back over the older teen's bare, pale shoulder.

"Here," Gloria stepped closer, ignoring the way Erica took a nervous step back out of reflex and hung the jacket over the girl's head in a makeshift hood. "Hold that until we get to the car."

The car, as it would turn out, was a lime green Trans Am that looked like it had seen better days (and those days had been excruciatingly long and hard on the vehicle), but Erica didn't comment, just got in. Beside her, the other girl did the same, throwing her bag carelessly in the back as she glanced over at blonde. "Address?"

"84 Donahue." Erica smiled at her, brushing some stray droplets of water from her cheeks. Her hand strayed to the black leather jacket and she blushed as she handed it back to her, "Thanks."

Gloria shrugged and tossed it in the back. It fell in a heap next to her bag. She pulled a ring of keys from her back pocket and started the engine. It sputtered a moment before it roared to life along with the radio. Erica cringed as a heavy metal song blared from the speakers, the song distorted by static and bass. The driver turned it down a touch, but not off.

"Any ideas on what we could sell?"

Erica ran a hand through her thick, frizzy hair. Her gaze flickered to the older girl, to the beads of water running down the valley of her breasts and how tightly her black tank top hugged her pale skin and she quickly righted her stare. Peering out the windshield, she fought off a blush as she answered, "I'm not sure…I know a lot of kids are making food or selling subscriptions, so maybe we could go a little further than that."

"Hm." Gloria pursed her lips, leaning back in the worn leather seat as she flicked the wipers on. "My mom's got a soap shop."

"…that's nice?" The passenger replied with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I know how to make soap, shampoo, facial scrubs, that kind of thing." Dark brown eyes flicked over to her lighter ones. Erica was almost positive she had seen a glint of humor in them, but they didn't linger long enough for her to be sure.

"We could make brochures for the art portion…" The blonde shook her head with a huff. "It's so weird Finstock wants an art portion."

A crooked smile cracked across Gloria's face, the first one Erica had ever seen on her. The dimples were a bit of a surprise, but she stayed quiet and tried not to stare at them as the older girl spoke, "Yeah, he, uh, doesn't really strike me as the artistically inclined type."

"Must be an outlined requirement."

The brunette said nothing, just continued to smirk as she pulled onto Donahue Avenue. They drove in silence a few moments, the static crinkling over the stereo, drowning out most of the vocals to the metal song. As she came up to the house on the corner, the Trans Am pulled to a stop.

Erica unbuckled her seatbelt and pulled her backpack into her lap. Her hand stilled on the door's handle. She glanced at Gloria, who was fiddling with the radio, and cleared her throat. When brown eyes rose to her face, she smiled at her. "Thanks for the ride."

Gloria blinked in surprise, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she drawled, "No sweat, Blondie."

Still grinning, Erica slipped out of the Trans Am and out into the rain.

**A/N: My first femslash. I'm so proud. And yes, I realize Gloria is a bit of a bitch. Still, I'd love to hear what you guys think of it.**


	2. Make It Stop

Erica glanced nervously at the girl sitting next to her. Gloria was sound asleep on the double desk they shared. Her dark hair was covering her face in a thick curtain, shielding it from the classroom's bright florescent lights. She hadn't been sleeping long; Erica was fairly sure she had been awake before Coach put on _Remember the Titans_(apparently the scene where a diner offered the team free food was rather close to the man's heart, even if it was only a brief moment in a montage), if not a little groggy. It seemed as though the second the lights had clicked off, so had the brunette.

Finstock passed by her, smacking her on the top of her head with a rolled up stack of papers as he went. The girl let out a grunt but she didn't sit up, although, she did turn her face in his direction.

"You know," the coach ignored her glare as he spoke over the class's laughter, "You might get more out of this class if you were awake during it, Spruce."

"I doubt it," Gloria grumbled, still slumped over on the desk.

Finstock rolled his eyes, but continued walking through the isles as he resumed his lecture. "Right, so who can tell me what a niche market is? Greenberg! Put your hand down, no one cares what you think!"

The brunette rolled her shoulders, slowly easing up in the stiff plastic chair. She glanced over to Erica, who smiled feebly at her, and sighed in response. "I really don't like him."

"You'll get used to him."

"I don't _want_ to get used to him."

"Well," The blonde's smile shifted into something a touch more callous, "Nobody _wants_ to get used to him."

Gloria offered a huff of laughter, but stayed otherwise quiet. She brushed her dark hair from her face, eyes fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. Finstock was rambling, going over the importance of finding a way to differentiate a product from the competitors, but it was obvious the older girl's attention had strayed. Erica blushed when she realized just what, or rather _who_, it had shifted to and looked down at her hands.

"-made a friend," a boy in a red sweatshirt snickered, "figures she could only get the school delinquent to hang with her."

His friends laughed, one of them miming a seizure, another coughing "_loser_" in to his fist. The brunette arched a brow at them, but didn't say anything. Just sniffed and looked back at the Coach. He had made his way back to the front of the class, lecturing them about the importance of having a market for their product. The clock above his head ticked away slowly, each second seemingly slower than the last.

"When do you think we're due for another freak out from Reyes?" One of the group asked in a stage whisper as Finstock turned to write their homework on the board.

"I don't know- you see that video? That shit was classic."

The boy in the red laughed, "I can't believe she can even show her face after she pissed herself."

Erica felt tears prick her eyes. Her fingers fiddled restlessly with her pen, a lump forming in her throat as she desperately tried to keep her breathing even. She licked her lips and closed her eyes in relief as the bell rang.

"I expect you all to, _at least_, have the outline done and a sample of the product for Monday's class!" Finstock called as his students began to file out of the room. "It doesn't have to be good, but it has to be something!"

Gloria rolled her eyes at him and hefted her bag over her shoulder as she stood. She glanced at Erica, but didn't comment on her teary eyes or slightly quivering lips. Instead, she popped her hood up and frowned. "You wanna meet up tonight?"

The blonde swallowed, but before she could answer, the Coach was approaching them. "Reyes." He glanced at the girl that was standing and frowned, "Mind giving us a minute there, Spruce?"

The brunette pursed her lips and gave him a curt nod. She slipped past him and out the door. Once she had crossed the threshold, Finstock turned to the blonde. At first, he didn't seem to notice her shaky demeanor, but his expression did soften a touch when he finally did.

"I just wanted to make sure things were going okay," he told her, leaning against one of the desks on the opposite side of the aisle. "With you and Spruce being partners, I mean."

"It's going fine," Erica told him, wincing as her voice cracked from the strain of choking back tears.

His gaze leveled at her, "If she isn't doing her fair share of the work, tell me. I won't take it out on you."

"No, no, she is."

The Coach looked doubtful, but nodded regardless, "Okay, well, if she gives you any trouble, don't be afraid to come to me and I'll get it sorted out, alright?"

The blonde nodded and he clapped her on the shoulder. "Good, now, get out of here. Go do whatever it is teenagers do these days."

Erica smiled tightly and slipped out the door. Gloria was waiting for her, casually eating an apple as she leaned against some lockers. The blonde noticed her knuckles were bloody and starting to swell and the embarrassment she had felt from the boys disappeared into fear as the girl's dark eyes locked on her face. Vaguely, she wondered how it was the older girl had even managed to not only get into a fight in the couple minutes that Finstock had cornered her, but had managed to _finish_ one. For a few seconds, they only stared at each other, Erica shifting anxiously from foot to foot as Gloria munched on the crisp piece of fruit in a nonchalant manner that only put the blonde more on edge.

The brunette gestured at her with two fingers. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Are we meeting up tonight or not?" Gloria asked, taking another bite of her apple before tossing it in the trash.

Erica swallowed as she played with the frayed strap of her backpack, "If you want to…the outline should only take an hour or so to finish. I could do it myself if you're-"

"I'll see you at six," Gloria interrupted, tone final as she walked away from the girl.

The blonde faltered. Calling down the hall, she ignored the odd looks she received from the few students that still lingered, "Where are we meeting?!"

"_Your place!" _

Erica's blood ran cold. The grip on her backpack became painfully tight as she watched the leather clad brunette disappear out the doors into the pouring rain. The thought of having Gloria in her house- having to introduce Gloria to her _mom_, who would no doubt be mortifyingly embarrassing and far too excited about Erica having someone over, was enough to make her want to throw up.

Of course, the blonde could never have expected just how thrilled her mother would be when she found out Erica was having a guest over. Diane Reyes was a beautiful woman in her late forties, with bright blue eyes and clear tanned skin that her daughter would die for. But she had also been one of the most popular girls of her high school and still held several friends from those days. Diane didn't totally understand Erica's shyness, her hesitance to go out and socialize; she didn't know about the bullying and Erica figured she was happier that way, so she never told her about the Youtube video or the kids who knocked her books to the ground in the hallways every day.

"Oh?" Diane's eyes lit up with excitement.

Erica shifted on the bar stool, but didn't look up from her English homework. "Yeah, that's okay, right? I mean, it's just for school."

"Of course! What's her name?"

"Gloria."

"Gloria," The woman repeated with a smile, "A lovely name. So, what's she like?"

_Scary_, her mind offered, but of course the girl didn't, _couldn't_ say that; at least not while her mother was still giving her that heartbreakingly hopeful look. So she did the only thing she could; she bent the truth to make Gloria seem like a decent, stable person. "She's nice. She just transferred from the Catholic school."

Diane nodded, sipping at her coffee from the other side of the island. Rain pounded against the kitchen window, but neither of them paid the weather any mind. "Any particular reason for the transfer?"

"Don't know," Erica lied, glancing up at the clock. It was almost six thirty and she vaguely wondered whether she was being stood up. She hoped not. Admittedly, less for her sake and more for her mother's, who was still grinning into her coffee at the very idea of her little girl having a friend over… or maybe just having a friend in general.

The thought had barely crossed the blonde's mind when the doorbell rang. The woman across from her hopped up and with a pat to her daughter's hand, Diane all but raced to answer it. Erica closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slid off the stool. She could only hope Gloria would be civil and maybe if she was really lucky her mother wouldn't say anything too embarrassing.

"_Oh my god! Look at you!"_

Apparently that was too much to hope for.

"Come in, come in, here let me take your-"

A hoarse voice cut in, a bit irritated but not _completely_ rude, "It's cool, I got it."

Erica stepped into the hallway. Gloria stood in the doorway, soaked from head to toe in rain water with a nylon guitar case strapped to her back and her leather satchel draped over her shoulder. Diane was fussing over her, brushing her dark hair back from her wet face in a manner that clearly made the girl uncomfortable. Stunned, the blonde asked, "What happened?"

"I told you I had band-" Gloria's whole body jerked as Diane began to try to pry her out of her coat, the woman's perfectly manicured hands fluttering around from the girl's face to her bag to the zipper of her leather jacket and the teen seemed to shrink away from her. "Stop-"

"_Mom!"_

"What?" Diane looked between them and frowned before her gaze settled on the flustered brunette. "You'll catch your death like this! Come on, into the shower and you can borrow some of Erica's clothes for the night."

"But-" The two teens chorused, horrified for different reasons, but the woman would have none of it.

"No _buts!_ This is no weather to be running around in," Diane said firmly, "Erica, show her to the bathroom. Gloria, take off those boots."

The glare the brunette aimed at her would've made her daughter wilt, but Diane just pointed at them. With a begrudging sigh, Gloria dropped down and began to unlace the muddy combat boots as Erica pulled her mother to the side.

In a frantic whisper, she snapped, "Mom! You said you would be cool!"

"There's nothing _cool_ about pneumonia, Erica."

The blonde gaped at her, but didn't get a chance to reply as her eyes caught sight of Gloria, who was watching them closely. With a defeated sigh, she motioned for the brunette to follow her. "Come on, I'll show you to the bathroom."

Gloria followed, giving her mother a wide berth as she passed her by. When they hit the bottom of the stairway, Erica whispered to her, "I am _so_ sorry."

"It's okay," The brunette replied with a shrug, absently wiping away some of the eye liner that had run down her cheeks. The case strapped to her back made it a bit awkward to walk up stairs as it tended to hit her in the back of the knees whenever she bent them, but it didn't seem to slow her down any. "My mom's the same."

The younger girl smiled wanly as they reached the top. "She's just a little-"

"_Erica!"_ The woman in question called from the kitchen, _"Don't forget to get her a towel!"_

"_I won't!"_ Erica yelled back, a harsh blush coming to her cheeks.

Gloria smirked at the sight of it. "You don't have many friends, huh?"

Her blush only deepened, but the brunette didn't comment. Trying to get the focus off her complete and utter lack of popularity, Erica changed the subject as she opened the hall closet, "What happened to your car?"

"It's not my car- it's my mom's." The taller girl pushed some of her wet hair back from her face. "She's in San Francisco this weekend."

"Couldn't your dad drive you?"

"He lives in New Valley," Gloria replied as she took the plush, pink towel from her. She dabbed her cheeks absently with it, only managing to smear her makeup further. "I was only a few blocks away…I didn't realize how bad it had gotten 'til I had refused a ride from Taksa."

Erica nodded with awkward empathy. "Oh, well, that sucks."

The brunette lifted a shoulder and followed the other girl to the bathroom. When they reached the door, the blonde seemed to falter. "I'll get you some clothes. Want me to take your…guitar?"

It was the older girl's turn to hesitate. She put a hand on the neck of the case, the black nylon cold under her fingers as she nodded weakly, "I guess…you don't have any pets, do you?"

"Just a cat," Erica told her, "but he's downstairs under the couch. He doesn't like the storm."

Gloria nodded and carefully pulled it from her back. She passed it to the blonde carefully and held on to its straps a moment longer than needed before she stepped into the bathroom, satchel still slung over her shoulder. Erica looked down at the case in her hands and wrinkled her nose as some rain water dripped onto her socked feet.

**A/N: Here's the second chapter! I'd love to get some feedback on it, what you think of Gloria, whether Erica's in character, that kind of thing. **


	3. Velvet Crowbar

Erica set the change of clothes on the bathroom sink. Making a point to not look at the wet jeans on the floor, or the wet pair of boxers inside them or the lacy red underwear on inside of _them_, she cleared her throat. Of course, as soon as she redirected her gaze, it landed on Gloria's soaked black tank top and zebra striped bra in the sink. Fighting a blush, Erica raised her voice to be heard over the running shower, "I'm just going to leave these here, okay?"

The brunette poked her head out from behind the shower curtain. Her dark eye liner ran down her cheeks, her red lipstick staining her mouth as she arched a dubious brow at her. "Alright…uh, thanks, I guess."

"I'm…I'll just be downstairs, okay? My mom went over to my aunt's and she's been kind of sick lately and with the storm…"

"Erica." Gloria said sternly from the stall. She didn't seem to notice the blonde's brown eyes darting down to where the shower curtain covered her breasts from view or the way they lingered just a moment too long for the glance to be completely innocent, just that she was hovering unnecessarily. "Can we finish this when I'm _not_ naked?"

"Oh, right," the blonde blushed a faint pink and went to leave. "I'll just be downstairs, okay?"

The older girl nodded and closed the curtain tightly, "Sounds good."

Erica bit her lip, fidgeting with her fingers as she leaned against the sink. She wasn't exactly sure why she was stalling. Maybe she didn't want to leave the known criminal alone in her bathroom, or go downstairs to face an empty kitchen, but for whatever reason, she kept talking. Both to Gloria's, and her own, horror. "I'm not sure if the clothes will fit… I mean, you're a little bit taller and my hips are a bit-"

"_Erica!" _The older girl roared from the safety of the shower stall_, "Get the fuck out!"_

"Right, right, I'm going, sorry!" She ran out of the room, only to stick her head back in after a moment, "did you want me to take your bag?"

A bottle of shampoo flew out from behind the curtain, followed by a sharp, _"No!"_

"Okay! Sorry, jeez!"

Five minutes later, Erica found herself sitting alone at the kitchen table with only a vegetable platter to keep her company. Her brown eyes sharpened at it. She wasn't sure if her aunt really was sick or if her mother had just gone out to give them some privacy. Frankly, the Reyes girl didn't really care. At least with Diane in the house if Gloria snapped and tried to murder her, there was at least a small chance of her being saved. With just the two of them in a big empty house, Erica feared for her personal safety. She picked up a slice of cucumber and popped it in her mouth as she heard the shower turn off. Chewing it furiously, her gaze drifted from the ceiling to the wall where the black guitar case rested.

There was a small pouch in the front, and Erica didn't realize how badly she wanted to know what was inside until she was standing beside it. Faintly, she could hear Gloria moving around the bathroom, no doubt getting ready to come downstairs at any moment, so Erica made it a quick peek. A pale, slightly shaking, finger pulled the flap back. There wasn't anything particularly interesting inside; a soggy pack of cigarettes, some loose bobby pins and a glasses case, with a few brightly colored plastic guitar picks littered the bottom of it, but that was all. She had been expecting something a bit more exciting, considering all the rumors about Gloria. A switchblade or a pair of brass knuckles. Maybe even a gun. But there was nothing of the sort and Erica was almost disappointed. _Almost_.

"See anything ya like?"

Erica startled at the voice, snapping to a standing position as her gaze whipped over to the brunette in the door way. Gloria was leaning against the frame, her hands shoved deeply into the pockets of a pair of the blonde's sweatpants that hung low on her hips, flashing an inch or so of pale skin below the borrowed black t-shirt. The look on her face was thankfully more amused than annoyed, but just barely.

"I…let's just get started, okay?" Erica blushed furiously as she brushed passed the older girl, not liking the cruel, mocking smirk on her lips one bit. "I don't know how long my mom's going to be and it'll be easier to get this done without her here."

Gloria kicked away from the frame. Dark hair hung limp and wet around her shoulders, wetting the black t-shirt Erica had loaned her and curling in the damp air. Her eyes went from the now seated blonde back to her guitar case, but she stayed silent. She slid into the barstool across from her and eyed the vegetable platter dubiously.

When her hazel eyes lifted to Erica's, the blonde snapped at her, "I didn't make it!"

"It's cool," The brunette picked up a piece of cucumber and bit into it. Chewing, she gestured to the books laid out in front of them, "You're doing your homework on a Friday night?"

Not mentioning that it had been the other girl's idea to meet up, Erica shrugged meekly. "I just figured it was best to get it out of the way."

Gloria blinked. With a disinterested quirk of her brows, she hummed, "Huh."

"Yeah…" Erica cleared her throat. She spread the sheets out in front of her, "We have to have the outline and a sample product by Monday."

"I know." Her blank gaze seemed to narrow slightly. "I was right beside you when he said it, remember?"

The blonde's brown eyes flickered to the girl's bruised hand as she reached for another slice of cucumber. Her gaze lingered there a moment too long, but the other teen didn't seem to notice as she asked what the first question was.

Between Erica's impeccable math skills and Gloria's thorough knowledge of their product, the outline was a breeze. They had managed to hash out most of the details in under an hour without any bloodshed between them, much to the blonde's surprise. Gloria had been a bit blunt and occasionally a bit irritable, but not nearly as condescending as the Reyes girl had expected. She smiled, more genuinely than she had in a long time, and asked if the brunette would need any help making the product.

"Uh, no." Gloria rubbed the back of her neck absently. A few stray beads of water slipped down her arm, but she didn't pay them any mind. Tugging at the bottom of the loaned t-shirt, the brunette tried to ease some of the snug material from across her breasts. She shifted in her seat, hazel eyes flickering to the clock above the doorway. It was nearing eight and the sun was setting outside the window, or at least would have been setting had it been out. The girl cleared her throat awkwardly, her mouth only just opening to continue when the phone rang. Her jaw snapped shut.

Erica winced at the audible _clack_ her teeth made when they came together, but said nothing. She slipped off her stool and snatched the phone from its cradle. Answering it, she ignored Gloria's eyes on her as best she could. The gaze was unwavering, no longer holding that hint of uncertainty from moments before. The cool, utterly blank intensity from the library was back, but the blonde was able to ignore it as she answered the call. "Hello?"

"Erica? Sweetie, it's mom!"

"I figured," the teen blushed, noting the tug of a smirk in the corner of her partner's mouth. "What-"

"I think I'm gonna have to stay at Marie's tonight! I don't want to drive in this weather!"

Erica blushed. Why did her mother always have to shout when she was on the phone?! "Oh, o-"

"Tell Gloria there are a few extra blankets in the hall closet!" Her mother yelled over the line, "Better yet, put her on, I'll tell her myself!"

Bewildered, Erica asked, "Why would she-"

"Well, we can't expect her to go out in this storm, can we?" Diane asked with just a little too much glee for her to be genuinely concerned. "She'll have to stay the night!"

The blonde's heart stopped in her chest. No. _No_. Her mother was not doing this to her. Everything had been going so well! They had been civil! Gloria had only glared spitefully at her twice! Prolonged exposure would tarnish whatever unspoken promise not to beat the living shit out of her that Gloria had made to herself!

"Erica!" Diane shrieked through the receiver, "I said put her on the phone!"

Without a word, Erica did as she was told. She then got back on her stool, put her head in her arms, and tried to block out reality. Stomach in knots, the younger student listened as Gloria answered.

"Um, yeah?" The brunette started, clearly hesitant. She watched the girl across from her knot her fingers into her thick, frizzy hair and felt a pang of annoyance go through her. It was bad enough to go through bullying at school; Gloria imagined it must've sucked twice as hard to go through it at home.

"Gloria? Sweetheart, it's Diane, Erica's mom?"

"So I gathered," The girl replied dryly, a hint of frustration in her tone. "How may I help you, Mrs. Reyes?"

"So formal! Call me Diane! Look, I know it's not ideal, but you're staying the night-"

Irritation bubbled in the brunette. "Wh-"

"No buts! It's too nasty out there! Half the roads are closed or flooded!"

Gloria's jaw clenched and her nails dug into her palms to the point of pain. "I can walk. I only live-"

"Absolutely not! It's one night and you said yourself your folks are out of town-"

"You know that." The girl said rather than asked in a blank, somewhat horrified voice.

Erica looked up from her arms and flinched at the bewildered but mostly angry expression on her face. Covering her head quickly, the blonde moaned in embarrassment. Vaguely, she wondered how long she would have to stand out in the rain before she drowned herself. Or more likely, how long Gloria would have to hold her down before she drowned in the rain. She knotted her fingers in her hair and squeezed her eyes shut against her mother's voice.

"Of course I know that! Now, don't let Erica have any sweets it breaks her out!"

Gloria stared blankly, her knee beginning to bounce anxiously as she let out a strained, "Okay. Goodbye, Mrs. Reyes."

"G-"

The brunette hung up on the woman. Her expression hard and lips pulled back in a sneer, she got off the stool without a word. Erica didn't dare peek away from her arms, but listened as the fridge door swung open. It slammed against the wall, but the blonde kept her head down. How the hell could her own mother have humiliated her like that?! Demanding the school bad girl stay the night! With no clothes, no less! Erica had made it perfectly clear to her that they weren't exactly the best of friends and she still invited her to spend the night?! That was just cruel. To the both of them.

"Hey, Blondie."

"Yeah?" Erica muttered into her arms. Absently, she wondered why it was so hard for Gloria to remember her damn name.

"Where's your frying pan?"

"What?" The blonde dared a glance up to find her classmate glaring at her. She shrunk back slightly, but apparently Gloria wasn't mad at her.

"Your mom's a bitch and we're having pancakes for dinner." The brunette cracked the Pepsi in her hand open and continued in a droll manner before taking a sip of it, "Don't worry about the acne thing. Soda does the same thing to me. Now, where the fuck's your frying pans? Seriously, the lay out of this kitchen is fucked."

A small, unsure smile twitched at Erica's lips.

**A/N: Reviews please. Also, I updated my Deucalion fic tonight as well, if you read that.**


	4. Some Nights

Dinner was…strange. Mostly because it didn't completely suck, at least in Erica's mind. It was a bit quiet, the pancakes a bit burned(but nothing a full cup of maple syrup couldn't fix) and Gloria was…very, _very_ casual. She mostly ate in silence, looking up if only to ask the blonde what was up with her bat shit insane mother(a direct quote from the brunette, who seemed to have absolutely no problem voicing her opinion on Diane Reyes questionable parenting skills).

A touch unsure of how to respond, Erica offered, "She's just…looking out for me?"

"What kind of mother leaves her daughter alone in a house with a total stranger?" The older girl wondered aloud, clearly unimpressed as she cut her pancake with her fork with just a touch more aggression than necessary. The metal squeaked loudly against the bottom of the plate. "Much less when it looks like the setting of a B-grade horror movie outside. Doesn't she know the buxom blonde always gets killed off first?"

A smile tugged at her mouth and a hint of a blush came over her cheeks, but Erica only shrugged instead of trying to repress it. "She doesn't watch many horror movies. Thinks they're a waste of time."

"She clearly hasn't seen any good ones then." Gloria lifted her Pepsi to her pale lips and raked her gaze over Erica's features. She was a pretty girl, if not a little frumpy and maybe a little too sensitive for her own good. The brunette hadn't missed the way the younger girl's eyes had misted up when she was being picked on and an unexpected bit of anger bubbled in her chest, irritated that their shitty teacher hadn't done anything to stop it. And maybe a little irritated at herself as well. Pushing it down, and the confusing emotions away, she swallowed and asked, "So. Where's your dad?"

"He's working late tonight."

"On a Friday?"

Erica lifted a disinterested shoulder in a way that didn't quite come off as aloof as she wanted it to. Pushing a piece of pancake around her plate, she clarified, "He works a lot."

"Huh." Her empathy was mistaken for judgment and the blonde looked up.

"What?" Erica's brown eyes narrowed at the brunette, sharp and cold, as if daring her to make fun of her.

Gloria shifted, uncomfortable with how much she enjoyed the defiant expression on the girl's features. It didn't sit well with her, the idea of Erica being left alone so often, but she opted to shrug off the biting comment on the tip of her tongue. It was second nature to her now, being defensive and cruel, but Erica hadn't done anything to warrant that kind of reaction. Not yet, anyway. "Whatever."

They finished eating in uncomfortable silence. Well, uncomfortable for Erica, completely normal for Gloria. She was used to people being uncomfortable around her. In the few short months since she had been expelled, it had become old hat to her; the whispers, the flinches, the stares and of course, the discomfort. As she wiped up the last of the maple syrup on her plate with her finger, she asked, "So, Blondie. What'd you usually do for fun on a Friday night?"

Erica's mind went completely blank as she watched the brunette lick her finger. It was an absentminded gesture, completely innocent, Erica was sure, but it made her stomach tighten. The blonde wondered how the usually darkly painted lips tasted as they wrapped around the digit. Her gaze flickered over the older girl's face a moment. Gloria was looking at her expectantly, but some of the intimidation was lost without her harsh eyeliner or bold lipstick. Her skin wasn't perfect, her eyes weren't as intense or piercing, but neither of those retracted from her looks. Her dark hair framed her sharp features in wet, unkempt curls. Erica swept over the pale mouth and wide cheekbones of the girl across from her. Gloria was pretty. She was _really_ pretty, actually- Even if she _was_ glaring at her. A blush fluttered over Erica's cheeks.

"What?" She stuttered out, suddenly acutely aware that she had been staring far too long for a casual glance.

"Fun." Gloria repeated, her expression no longer tight but curious.

_Fun_? What was _fun_? It was like a foreign word to Erica and after almost a full minute of just gawking at the brunette she managed to spit out, "Watch a movie?"

"Alright." Gloria grabbed her plate, then Erica's empty one and made her way over to the sink. "Sounds good. What'cha got?"

"My mom doesn't let me watch anything rated over PG13…"

The older girl turned to squint at her in disgust. "She's fucked, we've been over this."

"She's still my mom." Erica bristled. "You shouldn't talk about her like that."

"Hm," The brunette put the dishes in the sink and crossed her arms over her chest. Not noticing the blonde's gaze straying down to the swell of her breasts that were visible in the neck hole of her borrowed tee, she asked, "What did you have in mind, then?"

"Beauty and the Beast?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, Erica regretted them. Beauty and the Beast? A Disney movie? To the girl who had been expelled for blinding someone?! How lame could she possibly get?!

"Alright. I'll get my glasses."

"Really?!"

Gloria's brows rose at the girl's obvious surprise, but her features remained otherwise muted. "It was your idea."

Erica stared at her, a blush slowly rising to her face. Cheeks a dark shade of red, she cleared her throat. "Right. I'll just… go put it on."

Able to feel the other girl's dark eyes follow her as she all but ran out of the kitchen, the blonde tried to keep her composure. It was no big deal. She'd had sleep overs before- when she was about six. It'd be like that. They'd watch a movie, then go to bed. No biggie. Just because Gloria Spruce was a violent, provocative young woman didn't mean there was any reason to be scared of her. Erica's mind wandered back to the swell of the girl's breasts and how the dark material of the borrowed t-shirt hugged her like a second skin against her olive flesh and swallowed uncomfortably.

It wasn't that she hadn't noticed other girls before. She had. Lots of times. Usually it was just in passing; nothing too serious. Maybe she noticed how long another girl's legs were, or how good her ass looked in a pair of jeans. It was normal to look, right? Everyone looked. With Gloria, it just seemed…harder to look away. Erica supposed it had to do with how the older girl dressed and the prolonged exposure.

She popped the DVD in and swallowed. Erica looked up as Gloria entered the room in a pair of glasses. The frames were oversized and speckled, black and white and made her look considerably less menacing. The older girl arched a brow, as if daring her to say something, but the blonde merely took a seat on the couch.

An appreciative smirk tugged at the corner of the brunette's mouth, but she fought it back as she took a seat on the floor. Her back against the couch, she asked, "Did I miss anything?"

"Nope." Erica tucked her legs underneath her, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she hadn't shaved and that she could see down the front of the other girl's t-shirt.

"Can I smoke in here?"

The blonde's gaze drifted up to where Gloria had a cigarette hanging from her lips. She faltered, her mind once again flaking out on her as she stuttered, "Uh-"

"'Cause I'm gonna." The older girl told her, pulling a pack of matches from the back pocket of her borrowed sweats.

"My dad smokes, so…I guess it shouldn't be a problem." Erica bit her lip and stood, "I'll just open a window."

The wind was strong and cold, blowing wildly around the small living room and earned a low yowl from the cat under the couch. Gloria blinked at it and shuffled away from the apparently quite distressed feline. She reached over and grabbed the ashtray from the end table and said nothing as Erica slipped back to her seat.

With her legs once again tucked underneath her, she rested her head on her hand and her elbow on the arm rest and tried to focus on the movie. She had seen it probably a hundred times- it had been her favorite when she was little. A small smile pulled at her lips at the stained glass opening and snuck a glance at the girl on the floor.

Gloria looked considerably more relaxed than Erica felt. Her long legs were stretched out in front of her and she had slumped down some, letting her head rest on the edge of the couch. The ashtray rested on her flat stomach, her eyes half lidded as she blew smoke from her lips. She pulled her cigarette back to speak and Erica quickly righted her gaze to the screen.

"You know," The brunette started, "The most unbelievably thing about this whole movie…" She glanced at Erica, "And yes, I am including singing cutlery in this, is that there's just this giant abandoned castle in the middle of France- up the road from this place no less and there's never been like, looters or people coming to investigate. Hundreds of people went missing and Belle's dad is the first guy to show up in ten years? I call bull shit."

Amused by the older girl's clear irritation, Erica shrugged. "Maybe it's like the Hale house."

"People think it's haunted?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of they avoid it out of respect." She cleared her throat delicately, "Have you ever been there?"

Blank faced, Gloria leaned her head back on the couch. "France?" She asked sarcastically as she peered up at her.

"No." Erica grinned. "The Hale house. I know kids sometimes like to party in the woods. Have you ever been out there?"

The older girl fiddled with her cigarette. "No. When I was in the fourth grade, I knew a girl who died in that fire." She lifted an apathetic shoulder. "Wouldn't feel right goin' back, ya know?"

The blonde nodded, "Right." There was a beat of awkward silence between them before Erica spoke again. "Are we throwing the fact that Gaston is clearly on steroids into the singing cutlery pile, too? I mean, sixteenth century France and this dude is clearly all 'roided up."

A smirk tugged at Gloria's mouth and she took another drag of her smoke before replying, "That would explain a lot."

"It would explain everything. I bet that little weasely dude's his dealer."

"LeFou does sound like the name of some experimental estrogen supplement."

Erica's brows shot up. "You know his name?!"

"Don't act like you didn't know it." Gloria frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "Everyone born in the 90s knows it."

The blonde merely grinned. Biting her lip, she returned her attention to the screen and pretended not to notice the small smirk tugging at the corner of the brunette's mouth.

**A/N: Okay guys. I want reviews. Real reviews not just 'update'. **


	5. Are You Satisfied?

"Okay, seriously, it's been two hours, _what the fuck is wrong with your cat?_"

Erica sighed from the bed. Gloria was splayed out on the floor on her stomach with her bare feet up in the air as she flipped through a magazine. She was on a makeshift bed of sheets and a comforter. Her knees rested on a pillow, and she was glaring with disgust at the open bedroom door. As if he could hear the slight against him, Jinkens' yowls became more violent and somehow more annoying, if that were possible.

The younger girl smirked. "He's afraid of the storm."

"You keep saying that," The brunette growled, rolling onto her side to face her with a huff. She shot her a frown, but her eyes fell back to the magazine as she spoke, "But it's only raining now. What is his problem?"

"I don't know. He's a drama queen." Erica replied with a shrug as she reapplied a coat of coral pink nail polish to her pinky toe. The silence fell over them once more and she swallowed. "Are you sure you don't want the bed?"

Things had been relatively calm between the girls. They had watch a few movies (_Beauty and the Beast_, followed by _Batman Returns_) before they decided to settle down for the night in Erica's room. Her cat had apparently taken this as affront to his very being and had begun to yowl in a very high pitched, grating manner without pause since their departure from the living room.

Gloria didn't look up from the fashion magazine. With her head on her hand, she stretched out on her side. "No thanks."

"We could share if you want…"

This time, the brunette did look up. A pensive frown lacing her thin lips, she arched a fine brow at her. "Am I going to have to worry about you having a fit in your sleep?"

Erica blushed bright red. "No. I don't have nocturnal seizures. I mean, not often. Not lately."

The older girl shrugged and looked back at the magazine in front of her. "I'll pass."

In truth, her excuse had less to do with Erica's condition than it did with the blonde herself. She didn't know Erica and frankly, the idea of being so close to a stranger put Gloria on edge. It was bad enough being in her house, alone no less, but she drew the line at sharing the bed with her. Especially a stranger who made her stomach tighten and her heart flutter a bit. It was an unusual feeling for her, attraction, but Gloria liked to think she was handling her first crush fairly well.

Erica cleared her throat. "I kind of forgot you'd seen the video."

"Don't worry about it." The brunette shrugged nonchalantly, tearing her gaze from the younger girl's brown eyes and awkward smile.

"I mean, how did you even find out about it?" The blonde pressed. "I mean, you don't have any friends at school either."

The older girl's features grew blank. "I said don't worry about it."

"It's just weird that you would know, I mean, unless…" The blood drained from Erica's face. "Unless it's at your old school, too."

Gloria sighed. One hand came up to rub her eyes. "Reyes. Trust me when I say you are not the one who looks bad in that video, okay? It's everyone else who look like total sociopaths, okay?" She glanced at Erica, familiar with the embarrassment playing on her face and quickly changed the subject. "In what scenario would you need six inch heels? Seriously."

She tossed the fashion magazine aside and rolled onto her back. The faint sound of Erica panting entered her thoughts and Gloria quickly squeezed her eyes shut as a broken sob left the younger girl. It was the only sound in the room aside from the rain on the windows and it made her feel a bit sick. She didn't like seeing Erica upset. She hadn't liked it in class and she hadn't liked it in the library and frankly, it made Gloria angry. Clenching her fists, she put them under her head before Erica could see them.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" The blonde snapped, wiping her tears away with rough hands.

"Tell you what? It's the internet, Blondie, it's everywhere." Rising up on her elbows, Gloria shrugged. Her nails digging into the material of her borrowed shirt, she kept her face as blank as she could. "Who cares? It's not worth getting yourself all worked up over."

"Easy for you to say!" Erica snapped at her. Try as she might, the tears continued to roll down her cheeks and she let out a frustrated snarl. "There's not a video of you pissing yourself all over town!"

Shocked by her fierce stare, Gloria froze. She wrapped her arms around her knees and awkwardly looked anywhere but at the crying blonde on the bed. After a moment, she swallowed and her features returned to their normally muted state as she spoke, "I understand why you're upset. It's just…people are going to see it. You can't change that." The brunette shifted uncomfortably under the other girl's glare. "But if they're lives are so empty that they have to mock a girl with fucking _epilepsy_, you're clearly better than them."

When she shot her a curious glance, Gloria was surprised to find that Erica was no longer glaring at her, but rather regarding her suspiciously. She had never been very good at condolences. In fact, Gloria had a habit of saying the wrong thing when put on the spot, but she had meant her words. She didn't exactly understand the teasing Erica received for her illness and it frustrated her to no end. From what she had seen, the blonde was a sweet kid. A bit meek and a little awkward, but she didn't seem to warrant the outright malice the other kids seemed to have for her and it made Gloria's blood boil to think about Erica getting teased.

The younger girl tilted her head. Voice still cracked and strained, she asked, "Did you really blind someone?"

Gloria stiffened. Her gaze dropped to the floor. As her arms tightened around her knees, she licked her teeth. After a moment, she spoke. "Does it matter?"

The blonde lifted a shoulder weakly. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes before she tightened the lid on the nail polish she had been using. "I guess not…doesn't it bother you? That everyone's scared of you?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of Gloria's mouth and she fell back on to the mess of blankets underneath her. "No."

"Don't you get sick of it?" Erica pressed with a frown. "The staring and the whispers and-"

The brunette interrupted her with a curt, "No."

"How? How do you just get over it?"

"If their lives are so empty they have to talk about me, let them." Her arms crossed behind her head once more. "I don't know. I guess I just don't care anymore."

The younger girl frowned at that and let out a scoff. "That's not a very satisfying answer."

"So I've been told by many guidance counsellors." Gloria's dark eyes rose to Erica's. "Get over it."

When Erica only fiddled with her fingers, the older girl stood. At the blonde's curious pout, she arched a brow. "I'm gonna go take a piss, is that okay with you?"

"Fine."

Once Gloria was out of sight, Erica flopped back on her bed. Tears pricked at her eyes once more as she thought of all the people who had seen her at her worst, of all the kids in school who didn't think she was even worth making eye contact with and she rolled over and turned the bedside lamp off. She didn't want Gloria seeing her crying again. Once was enough. Putting the heels of her hands to her eyes, she rubbed them roughly. Jinkens yowled faintly, filling the silence and Erica sighed.

Vaguely, the fifteen year old wondered why she cared. Why she cared what Gloria Spruce, the school freak, thought of her. She wondered if the brunette liked her. If her uncomfortable attempt at comfort had meant anything or if Gloria just wanted her to shut up and quit whining. It was probably the latter. Erica wasn't stupid. She knew they weren't friends. That the older girl was only there because of the project and that if they weren't partners she wouldn't have so much as glanced in Erica's direction. Forcing back a few harsh, frantic breathes, she rolled onto her side to face the wall.

When Gloria came back in, she feigned being asleep. She heard the brunette sigh and felt her set Jinkens down on the bed. Erica blinked as her cat settled beside her legs.

The older girl pursed her lips, waiting for the blonde to speak, but Erica stayed silent. With a weak frown, Gloria got back onto the floor. Staring at the ceiling, she licked her lips before speaking.

"I didn't blind him."

"What?" Erica's voice was hoarse in the darkness.

"I didn't blind him," Gloria repeated quietly. Tone flat and cold, she continued, "One of my rings sliced his cornea. He got his sight back."

"Uh, oh. I…oh."

The brunette glanced at her. Erica was sitting up a touch now, looking in her direction and Gloria felt irritation well in her. She didn't like explaining herself, didn't like that Erica had asked and the Gloria had felt obligated to tell her. Lips pulled back in a sneer, she spat, "Do you feel better now? Safer?"

The blonde shook her head. "No."

"I didn't think you would." Closing her eyes, Gloria exhaled through her nose. She let the back of her head hit the floor with a bit more force than necessary before she spoke again. "You still scared of me, Blondie?"

A smile worked its way across Erica's face. "No."

"Liar."

"I'm not. You haven't…done anything, to me. I mean, you're rude. _Really_ rude, but not dangerous."

Gloria didn't say anything to that. She hoped the girl was telling the truth, that Reyes didn't see her as a threat. She didn't like being known as volatile, but she _needed_ it. Gloria had promised herself she'd never be a victim again, that she'd never let anyone push her around or scare her, but she didn't want to scare Erica. She didn't want to be the bully she had hated. She just wanted some respect. For people to keep their distance….except Erica. The older girl rolled onto her stomach and put one of the pillows over her head. Biting her lip, she ignored the blonde's quiet goodnight and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

Erica could get close, if she wanted, and the thought scared Gloria more than any switchblade or boy ever had.

**A.N: Thoughts? Opinions?**


	6. Not A Robot

When Erica woke, Gloria wasn't on the floor anymore. The room was still dark, the storm still raging outside her bedroom window and Jinkens was still pouting at the end of her bed. The cat mewed softly as she picked him up. Cuddling him to her chest, the teen sighed.

It didn't exactly surprise her that Gloria had bailed on her without saying goodbye. The night before had ended on tense terms and Erica blushed slightly as she recalled her outburst. Rubbing Jinkens head, she set him down on the bed before making her way to the bathroom. She had thought they were making progress- that they were at least learning to tolerate each other, but she supposed it was too much to expect common courtesy from someone like Gloria. She kicked open the bathroom door with a sigh and was greeted with by shriek.

"_Oh my god, get out!"_

Erica gaped at her. "You're still here?"

Gloria stared right back, her eyes wide and features pale as she snapped, "Uh- _yeah_, and I'm on the _goddamn toilet_, Reyes, so _get the fuck out!"_

It was then the blonde's gaze dropped and she realized that yes, Gloria was in fact sitting on her toilet. Her legs were tightly pressed together, her hand covering her crotch and she was glaring at her with all the spite and embarrassment a person could manage. Erica's gaze flickered down to the sweat pants she had borrowed and found that the Spruce girl had been going commando.

A blush crossed her features and Erica quickly backed out of the room. "Sorry! I'll just- sorry!"

She hit the doorframe as a roll of toilet paper went flying by her. Stumbling outside, she shut the door tightly behind her. A grin stretched over Erica's lips. Gloria hadn't left- she hadn't scared her off. She didn't think she was a complete and total loser… it fell slightly as a crash of thunder boomed outside. Maybe she was only there because of the weather. Maybe she was waiting for Erica's mom to get home to give her a ride. Erica bit her lip, moving to get changed.

In the bathroom, Gloria was completely and utterly mortified. Her face buried in her hands, she groaned. Why had she not locked the door?! When she had left the bedroom, Erica had been sound asleep with her stupid cat curled at her feet.

Gloria's toes curled on the cool tile floor as her knee began to bounce. Her clothes, or at least the clothes she had been wearing when she arrived at the Reyes house, were downstairs in the dryer and she tugged self-consciously at the neck of the t-shirt she had borrowed. In the past couple months her clothes had been a wonderful shield for her, a way to keep people at a distance with what she wore. Nobody wanted to mess with the girl in leather and lace, as her mother had said.

After washing her hands and getting her blush under control, Gloria steeled her features and went to find Erica. After checking her bedroom, the brunette made her way downstairs. The blonde was sitting at the island they had eaten dinner at the night before. Two bowls sat in front of her, along with a jug of milk. When Gloria arched a brow, Erica smiled at her.

"We only have like, two kinds of cereal. Is Special K alright?"

The brunette shrugged. Without a word, she slid on to the bar stool and grabbed the jug.

The blonde licked her lips. Resting her chin on the heel of her hand, she asked, "So, um, any plans for tonight?"

"I was gonna go to the gym, but…" Gloria let her voice trail off and lifted a shoulder. In truth, she was a little self-conscious. She had caught sight of how she looked in the mirror; her brown hair was wild, the dark circles under her eyes palpable and without her usual make up she could see every imperfection in her skin. Needless to say, she was less than pleased with the result. The older girl was also acutely aware that she hadn't brushed her teeth.

Erica nodded. Her gaze swept curiously over Gloria's arms. While the brunette was toned, she was hardly bulky and didn't exactly come across to Erica as someone who would spend time in a gym.

"How 'bout you?"

The blonde took the milk back as Gloria started eating. "I didn't have any plans."

The brunette opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. The girls glanced at the doorway as Diane Reyes voice flitted against the storm.

"Hello? Erica, are you up yet?"

"We're in here!"

The woman sauntered in with a wide grin on her lips. Her blonde hair was matted to her cheeks, the neck of her cashmere sweater wet from the rain. She looked between the girls, her smile widening as she entered the kitchen. "Well, aren't you two up early?"

Her daughter offered her a forced, awkward smile as Diane put a pot of coffee on. Gloria didn't even bother to pretend she was happy to see the Reyes woman. Instead, she just kept her lips pursed a moment before she resumed eating her cereal.

"So, Gloria," Diane continued to make her coffee as she spoke, not looking at the girl in question. "Any plans for the day?"

The brunette didn't look up from her bowl. "No."

"Oh. Well," A sly grin stretched across her lips as she spun to face them. It put Erica immediately on edge, but she said nothing as her mother went on, "I'm heading back to my sister's in a few minutes…perhaps you could spend another night."

Her daughter gaped at her, utterly horrified. Her face went first very pale, then very red. _"Mom!"_

"Maybe even the rest of the weekend." The woman continued, ignoring Erica completely.

Gloria didn't look up from her cereal. For a few seconds, Diane just stared at her, expectantly, until she lifted the last bite of Special K to her mouth. Then Gloria very calmly stood, grabbed the guitar case that was still leaning against the wall and left. Left the kitchen and the house.

Erica squeezed her eyes shut as the front door slammed shut. Covering her face with her hands, she sighed as her mother spoke.

"Well. She certainly is a quiet one, isn't she?"

The teen peeked through her fingers to glare at her.

It was half an hour later and Erica was once again alone. Her mother had gone back to her sister's and her father was suspiciously absent, but that was hardly surprising. Vaguely, she was aware that he hadn't come home the night before, but she didn't really care. It wasn't out of the norm for him to take 'spontaneous business trips' that involved his secretary and no one else. With a hint of bitterness, the girl picked Jinkens up and cuddled him to her chest. The ginger cat mewed, but didn't struggle in her grasp. Giving him a rub behind the ears, she set him down as the storm outside grew.

Rain had been blowing against the windows all night, but for the most part, the weather had calmed. At least, until just recently. A quiet clap of thunder could be heard in the distance, no doubt rousing another storm.

Erica had just flopped onto the couch in the den when the doorbell rang. The blonde pursed her lips, sitting up slightly as it rang again. With a hint of hesitation, she got up. It continued to ring, quick, grating dings that made the cat under the couch yowl. She peered through the peep hole and blinked in surprise.

"Gloria?" She asked, clearly shocked as she ushered the older girl inside.

Much like her first visit to the Reyes house, Gloria was dripping wet. She had switched her guitar case out for a regular back pack, and held a small duffle bag in her hand. It was neon pink in color and Erica found herself staring at it. The brunette didn't notice, or at least pretended not to, as she shrugged off her leather jacket.

Shoving it into the blonde's arms, she kicked off her unlaced combat boots and shuffled passed the blonde. "I'm gonna go get changed. Don't go through my shit. _Again_."

With a blink, Erica snapped out of her trance and looked away from the bag. "What are you going here?"

"Going to get changed," The older girl replied with a wry smirk. A fine brow arching, she asked, "You didn't think you were going to stick me with doing all the manual labor, did you?"

As the blonde gaped at her, Gloria turned away. Erica never saw the grin that stretched over her lips. Squinting at the brunette's retreating back, the younger girl pursed her lips. Defiantly, she dropped to her knees and unzipped the duffle bag. It was filled with tiny bottles and bars, a blender and measuring utensils and to her surprise, what appeared to be maybe a pound of cocaine. Erica stared at it a long moment, blinked, then stared at it some more. There was no way, no possible way, that Gloria had brought cocaine into her house. She picked up and found that it had been sitting on a scale and the Reyes girl silently mouthed, "_What the fuck?"_ to herself.

"That's citric acid, not cocaine."

Erica spun to face her. Gloria was leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, with one of her bare feet kicked up against the white trim. Her features suggested she was not at all surprised to find Erica routing through her things. The blonde stood and shrugged in what she hoped to be an incredibly casual manner. "I never said it was."

"But you were thinking it," Gloria told her, again with no judgment or bitterness in her face or voice. Eyes mute of any emotion, she lifted a shoulder. "Everyone always thinks it is. It's why my locker got illegally searched so many times." She nodded to her left. "I assume in a kitchen that large you have a double broiler?"

The blonde faltered. "I…have no idea what that is."

Gloria's expression shifted to something almost pained and maybe a little alarmed. Voice still flat, she said, "You're kidding me."

"Uh, no?"

"Oh my god," The brunette snapped with disgust. All but storming over to the younger girl, she snatched her duffle bag off the floor as she demanded, "What is your shit mother teaching you?!"

Erica bristled, an angry pout lacing her lips as she crossed her arms. "I know how to cook!"

"That's not at all an answer to what I asked." Gloria shook her head, clearly a bit unsettled as she jerked a thumb toward the kitchen. "Come on, Blondie. Let's get to work. You just might learn something."

At the brunette's wink, a blush painted Erica's cheeks and she only nodded before she followed Gloria in to the kitchen.


	7. Learn To Crawl

Gloria, unsurprisingly, was somewhat of a tyrant when it came to the kitchen. Erica didn't blame her- the blonde seemed to have little in the way of any kind of sense when it came to soap making. In the hour since they began, Erica had burned two batches of shea butter, dropped a bottle of essential oil and spilt a bowl full of melted beeswax onto the marble countertop.

The older girl had just stared at her. Completely unimpressed and unsurprised and maybe a little disappointed. Frankly, Erica was just glad that she hadn't expressed said disappointment with violence or by dunking her head in the hot wax.

Gloria sighed and rubbed her forehead with the back of her gloved hand. "Okay, Blondie, sit down. You can be on design duty."

"Design duty?" Erica asked, but she moved to turn the fan on as the brunette opened the window. The entire kitchen reeked of lavender; stifling and enough to gag the both of them. As it began to spin over their heads, she pulled off her latex gloves and threw them in the sink.

"You can doodle up something to put on our label. You know, like a logo or something."

Erica arched a blonde brow. "Why do we need a label? I thought we were doing a brochure for the art portion?"

"We are- I mean, you still want to, don't you?" Gloria glanced back at her curiously as she began to spoon white powder into a cup that was placed on the scale she had brought.

"Then why do we need labels?"

"Product recognition," The older girl said simply. She reached over the oven and grabbed another bowl, setting it on the counter next to the scale. "Plus, you put a name on it and people think it's legit."

Erica pursed her lips. Pulling out a sheet of paper from her binder, she wrinkled her nose at the lingering flowery stench as she replied, "I don't remember Finstock saying anything about product recognition."

The brunette shrugged, but didn't stop spooning. Erica recognized it to be citric acid, another thing she had spilled sometime prior and was banned from touching _("That shit's expensive, Reyes! Go pick an essential oil out!")_. Her gaze flickered up to the neon pink bandana that kept Gloria's dark hair from her eyes then dropped to the glasses tucked inside the front of her tank top. It was a dark shade of red against her pale skin and almost immorally tight; not that the brunette seemed to notice at all.

"It'll be part of the art portion," Gloria repeated with a tilt of her head. With an arched eyebrow, she added with a shrug, "Besides, dude, bonus marks."

At the little hint of a smile that tugged at the corner of the older girl's mouth, Erica shook her head. "You are such a nerd."

Gloria frowned at that. A very subtle blush crossed her features as she glared at the blonde. "I take pride in my work and I don't want to be responsible for an inferior product."

"So you want to make labels?"

"So I want to give you and your clumsy ass something to keep you busy while I do all the grunt work," Gloria corrected with a sharp smile and a wink.

Erica shot her a sharp look, but said nothing. For a few moments it was silent before the younger girl spoke again, "So, I guess this means you're staying the night again?"

"Better than being alone I guess."

"Couldn't you stay with your band?"

The brunette shot her a curious smirk. "They don't all live in one little hovel. They're not hamsters."

"I never said they were hamsters." Erica kept her head down and hid her smile behind her hand. Resting her face on her fist, she began to doodle; nothing in particular, just a series of random lines inside a box.

"If you want me to go, I can."

The blonde's head shot up. "I never said that!"

Gloria raised a knowing brow. Pleased by her quick reaction (and that Erica might actually want her around), the older girl shrugged. "I'm just saying, if you want me to go, I will. Doesn't matter to me."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because I figured your mom would bail on you," Gloria explained; her expression tight. It was less pitying and more angry, something Erica appreciated but she didn't get a chance to comment as the brunette went on, "And your dad seems to be kind of… _absent_, so I figured you're gonna be alone, I'm gonna alone, why not be alone together?"

Erica tried (and failed) to suppress her wince at the mention of her father. Noting how awkwardly the other girl was shifting her weight, she cleared her throat. "You said your dad lives out of town?"

Gloria added the citric acid to the separate bowl. Not looking at her, she continued to work on their project as she answered with a somewhat stilted, "Yeah."

"Are you two close?"

Gloria tilted her head from side to side as if trying to roll the right response out of her head. "I guess. I mean, we've kind of grown apart since I grew tits, but for the most part we're pretty tight."

"Oh."

She glanced at Erica. The younger girl was fidgeting with her pencil, clearly uncomfortable. Gloria vaguely wondered why. Maybe she had been expecting a different answer, or was uncomfortable with the blunt address of her breasts- ironically, much like her father was. Maybe Erica was just the awkward sort. Pushing the thought away, she went back to the double broiler. With her back to the younger girl, Gloria spoke a bit more freely, "I would've gone to Taksa's, but his dad's a bit weird about me spending the night and Dinah's out of town this weekend. I guess I could've crashed at her place, but I didn't feel like it."

"Are they your-"

"Bandmates, yes. Two of them, anyway."

Erica blushed at the interruption. "Right. Um, what should we call the store?" When Gloria only shrugged, the blonde continued, "I was thinking, maybe we could just call it _BHS_- Beacon Hills Soaps. You know, keep it simple?"

"Sounds good to me, Blondie." Gloria checked the heat and added the cocoa butter to the broiler. She gave it a careful stir before adding a hint of vanilla essential oil.

After the somewhat disastrous force Erica proved to be in the kitchen, Gloria had decided to forego making actual soap and stick to the simpler art of bath fizzes. She could always make the other products at home (and fully intended to, somewhere safe from Erica's beautiful but clumsy hands) but since they needed a product for Finstock to inspect, the older girl figured it would be best to actually finish what they started- even if what they finished was a completely different product that what they originally agreed upon.

"Okay, how about this then? I mean, I can do it up on the computer later, make it fancier and stuff, but for a rough outline…"

Gloria glanced back at her. Her gaze drifted from the girl's pink cheeks to the paper. The design was simple, just BHS with a series of feminine little flowers and vines. Very suitable for what they were selling and who their target buyers were, the older girl told her with a small smile. When Erica beamed with pride, the brunette was quick to look away. The expression was innocent and sweet on the younger girl and something Gloria wasn't equipped to handle.

In truth, Gloria had never been very comfortable with anything even close to sex. She had never thought about boys _or_ girls- never really looked at anyone in a way that could be considered attraction. Even now, she wasn't thinking necessarily _sexual_ thoughts about the Reyes girl- just affectionate ones. She liked seeing her face light up, liked seeing her loosen up a bit around her- mostly Gloria just liked that she didn't seem so afraid of her. She hadn't been lying when she said she didn't care what people thought of her- that was entirely true. But there was a vast difference between people and a person, and in truth, Gloria wanted the particular person in front of her to like her.

Maybe even something a bit more than just like; she hadn't missed the way Erica's eyes seem to drag over her form. At first she thought she was just comparing. It seemed like a lot of girls did that with her. Gloria assumed it was because of how she dressed. It seemed like a lot of women she came into contact with had something to say about her attire. About how inappropriate it was, or how she was showing too much skin or how she looked like a slut. The thought was laughable, but Erica didn't look at her the way they did. There wasn't any judgment in her eyes, just a bit of want. Not a lot, but some and Gloria wasn't quite sure how she could get more.

She had been trying to be nice. Trying to keep her temper in check and not snap at the blonde, but restraint had never been a close friend to Gloria. Swallowing, she added the cocoa butter to the mix of citric acid, baking soda and Kaolin clay. The brunette jerked her head to her bag, "Do me a solid and put the cupcake liners in that muffin tray, will ya?"

Erica blinked in surprise- mostly because Gloria had been oddly quiet for the past few minutes. "Oh, sure."

The blonde moved to the pink duffle bag and began to route through it. The tray was at the very bottom, under a few changes of clothes and her backpack. She grabbed it and tossed it on the counter beside the older girl. Peering over Gloria's shoulder, Erica watched as she continued to work the mixture with her hands. The younger teen didn't miss how the brunette tensed as she moved to stand a bit closer.

Gloria arched a brow at her. "Can I help you?"

With a faint blush, Erica stepped back once more. "Sorry."

The older girl lifted a weak shoulder. "It's cool. Liners?"

"Huh?" Erica blinked, trying to place what she thought was an obscure insult to her person before she realized what Gloria meant. Her blush darkened. "Oh, right, just a second."

The dark haired girl smirked as the blonde went back to the bag. She added a spritz of Witch Hazel to the mixture before repeating the squeeze test. When the mixture held its shape, she looked over to Erica. "Find 'em?"

Erica didn't speak. She had simply reached into the duffle without looking and was now standing completely still.

Gloria arched a brow. "Blondie?"

Still not moving and her cheeks had gone an alarming shade of red.

The brunette faltered. "Erica? You're not having a seizure, are you?"

"N-no," The blonde cleared her throat and shook her head. "I um… you have your underwear in here?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, I may have, um…I'm holding them. I'm holding your underwear. I am so sorry." Erica squeezed her eyes shut but couldn't manage to let the undergarments go. They were black satin tangas and felt frankly amazing in her hand. Her mind had already gone to a million different places- all of which involved Gloria.

_Like Gloria splayed out on her back in nothing but them_. They'd be almost transparent- Erica could tell by how thin the material was. The blonde shifted awkwardly, but couldn't push the image from her head. _Of how Gloria's long, pale legs out look in them, about whether her mound would press against them, of how they'd cup her ass._

"Erica. Erica, put my damn panties down."

The blonde nodded eagerly. Swallowing, she choked out, "That's a good idea."

_Gloria with her hand down the front of them; touching herself and writhing on the bed- on __**Erica's**__ bed._

Gloria pointed at her with a very stern finger. Cheeks a faint shade of pink and eyes narrowed, she reminded her, "You're still holding them."

"I know."

"Well, stop it."

"I'm sorry. I- I'm sorry," Giving the satin one last rub between her finger tips, Erica dropped them back into the bag. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing." Gloria winked at her. "You think they're hot by themselves, you should see how I look in them."

When Erica only gaped at her, the brunette looked away. Sarcastically congratulating herself on being super creepy and way to forward, Gloria clenched her jaw. Embarrassment ate at her and she didn't notice at flustered grin cross Erica's lips. Blowing a strand of her dark hair from her eyes, Gloria asked, "These take a couple hours to set, any idea what we could do in the mean time?"

At the quiet squeak Erica gave, Gloria looked over at her. Her hand was once more buried in the pink duffle and her blush had returned full force.

The older girl sighed at it, "You're holding my bra, aren't you?"

The blonde pulled it out. Sure enough, a matching black satin balconette bra was in her hands. She held it up to her own chest. Shock and a bit of irritation in her voice, she snapped, "You brought lingerie to my house?!"

"Um, yeah?"

"Why?!"

"They're good for my ego," The older girl explained with a casual shrug. "Like you don't have a bunch of slinky stuff upstairs, Reyes."

Erica blinked. A hint of wariness crossing her features, she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gloria ran her gaze over the blonde's body. "You can hide it under all the mom jeans and baggy clothes you want, Blondie, but you've got quite the rack yourself."

"No, I- well, I mean, I get by," Erica admitted before scowling at her. "But I don't flaunt my underwear around!"

"Neither do I-" When Erica pursed her lips and pointedly dropped her eyes to the swell of her tank top, where sure enough, her black racerback bra was fairly visible. At least, the top of the cups were, as well as the straps. Gloria crossed her arms defensively over her breasts. "If you don't like it, don't look- and put that down!"

Erica tossed the bra back into the duffle with a frown. A bit awkwardly, she asked, "Where'd you get all that stuff anyway?"

Gloria looked a bit skeptical and maybe a bit hurt. "What'd you mean?"

Erica bit her lip, not liking how the older girl was regarding her now. She was clearly on edge, her guard was up and the blonde felt a twinge of disappointment. "I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of stuff you buy with your mom."

"It's not?" Gloria blinked in surprise. She pulled off the latex gloves and grabbed the cupcake liners from the bag with only a quick glance in her direction. "My mom's always been cool about stuff like that."

The younger teen's brows rose with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean, didn't your mom ever take you bra shopping?"

Erica shrugged, fighting the heat in her cheeks. "Well, yeah, but I never bought anything like that."

"Why not?"

"I don't know- no one to wear it for, I guess."

As Erica rubbed the back of her neck, Gloria stepped forward. She swept her gaze over the blonde's form once more, taking in her oversized sweatshirt and baggy yoga pants as she spoke, "So? You don't have to wear anything for anyone. Sometimes it's nice just to feel sexy, ya know?"

Erica shifted her weight from foot to foot, but didn't meet her gaze. At least, not until Gloria was only a foot away.

"You wanna try them on?"

The blonde's brown eyes widened as they snapped up to the brunette's mild features. "What?"

"They're clean, I swear." Gloria swallowed her anxiety down, a little bit embarrassed that she was even asking. The thought in Reyes in something other than mom jeans was making her feel a bit strange, making her a bit restless and warm. The thought of her in her underwear- in _Gloria's_ underwear, was making her downright hot. Licking her lips, she picked up the bra. "We're about the same size. They'd probably fit you okay…I mean, if you wanted to."

"Y-yeah?" Erica faltered. The older girl's gaze wasn't hard or assertive. In fact it was shyer than she had seen it and the blonde shifted a bit closer to her. "I mean…we are pretty close, huh? In size, I mean."

"Yeah, well, my hips are a bit broader, but you should be fine." Gloria clenched her jaw a moment, looking over the blonde's shoulder to distract herself from her earnest stare and the curious glint in Erica's brown eyes. The older girl licked her lips as she looked back down at the blonde, only to find her biting her own plump bottom lip. Gloria's gaze snapped back to the wall. "I mean, I… you could just throw your clothes on over them. No one would know, I mean, if your parents came home or whatever."

The blonde smirked, enjoying the slightly flush on the brunette's pale skin. Shifting a bit closer to her, Erica grinned, catlike and provocative. "You'd know. You'd know I was wearing them. Your panties."

"Well, yeah, but…" The older girl dug her nails into the palms of her hand and met her gaze. "No one else would have to know. Just us."

"Just us?"

Gloria nodded, but didn't tear her gaze away from Erica's brown eyes. "Yeah. Just us." When Erica bit her lip, her hazel eyes dropped to her mouth. Ignoring the heat pooling in her abdomen, the brunette shrugged. Her tone wasn't quite as aloof as she wanted it to be as she told her, "But it's up to you, Blondie. No skin off my back."

Erica took a deep breath. With a wicked smile, she took the bra from her. "Well, I mean, there's no harm in trying, right? No one has to know."

"Right." Gloria swallowed again as the blonde reached down and grabbed her black satin panties from the duffle.

Without another word, Erica left the room, only tossing the stunned brunette a wink as she went. The older girl stared after her. She couldn't really understand why her stomach felt so tight or her skin so hot. Mostly she couldn't fathom the change in Erica- not that she didn't like it. Mostly that she had gone from meek to wanton in a flip of a switch. It was a little disconcerting, but Gloria had to admit…Erica wore confidence rather well.

_**A/N: Sorry for the wait! Don't forget to review! **_


	8. Do The Panic

Erica stared at the skimpy garments laid out on her bed.

The lingerie was of high quality and obviously expensive, and she felt a bit foolish standing there in her white granny panties and matching cotton bra. Shaky fingers picked up the satin panties. Sure enough, when held up to the light, they were see-through. The blonde's eyes widened.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She chanced a look down at her legs; shapely and long with a hint of tan to them thanks to her natural olive skin tone, but also unshaved. Erica grimaced at that. She briefly entertained the thought of hopping in the shower. Just for a few minutes to shave them…but where was she supposed to shave to? Her mom said only strippers shaved above the knee… plus what about her pubic hair? Did Gloria expect her to be completely shaved? Did she expect her to go that far? Did she expect sex?

Erica didn't know the first thing about lesbian sex. Most of, okay _all_, her experience came from the internet, and she hadn't really trailed too far into that corner of the 'net. A lot of it had seemed…aggressive. Not to mention painful, if the fingernails in those videos were anything to go by. The blonde swallowed and shook the idea from her head.

Gloria was a bit…rough around the edges, but she wouldn't force Erica into anything she wasn't comfortable with. At least, the blonde was fairly sure she wouldn't. A frown pulled at the young teen's lips as she thought back to the kitchen, to the brunette's nervous gaze and pink cheeks and realized that Gloria might not be expecting anything. She might not even be gay. She might just have been trying to make friends- albeit in an incredibly awkward and suggestive way.

Still worrying at her bottom lip, she set the undies back on the bed. The word _gay_ stuck out in Erica's mind as she reached behind her to unclasp her bra. She had remembered the kids in school gossiping about which girls were gay. Which ones _played for the softball team_ and _munched carpet_. About how _butch_ they were and how you couldn't be friends with a girl who was _gay_ because they'd fall in love with you. The blonde frowned and picked up the bra.

There was nothing butch about Gloria. Erica blushed at the thought of her tight clothes and lipstick, of her dimpled cheeks and how she always tried to hide her smile. Adjusting the straps, the blonde shifted from foot to foot. Gloria wasn't gay and if she was, she didn't act like it- whatever that meant.

That made Erica pause. _She_ was the one attracted to another girl- she was the one fantasizing about seeing Gloria half naked, but Erica didn't feel any different. She didn't feel like she was suddenly more masculine or any less of a woman, well, girl, for liking Gloria. She didn't feel like anything in her had changed- just like another piece of the puzzle had been put into place. She'd had crushes on boys before, lots of them, but it was her first time feeling anything other than fear for another girl.

Sliding the bra on, Erica noted it was a bit tight, but not terribly. It also made her breasts look freaking _fantastic_. With an ill suppressed smile, she ran her fingers over the cups of the bra, enjoying the sleek feel of the satin. The underwire made them more defined and well, _higher_, but didn't pinch like her mother had warned her. It made her feel a bit giddy and that giddiness turned to arousal when she remembered that it belonged to Gloria.

That it had held her breasts, that she had worn it before her and liked how she looked in it enough that it made the aloof girl feel sexy. That she looked hot in them and that Gloria thought she, Erica Reyes, the school spaz, had a nice body- a body that she had _noticed_.

The fact that somebody noticed her made Erica grin. Usually if someone looked twice at her it was because she was making a fool of herself, but after the previous night the blonde didn't feel like Gloria was judging her. At least, not for that stupid Youtube video.

As she stepped out of her cotton panties, she thought over what the older girl had said. About being _better_ than the people who mocked her. It didn't seem possible, but Gloria seemed to think she was. Maybe had just said it to shut Erica up, but it didn't feel like it. Not anymore, anyway. The brunette wasn't the ice queen she pretended to be- that much was becoming obvious to the younger blonde.

Erica slid the satin underwear up her legs. The material was smooth against her slit and she shuddered slightly at the feeling. Her fingers slipped over the top of her mound and Erica felt her stomach flutter knowing that the material touching her had clung to the same intimate place on Gloria. Swallowing her nerves and fighting her blush, the blonde shook her head. She pulled her hand away and did her best to ignore the tingle between her legs.

The young woman walked over to the mirror in the corner of her room. She typically kept it covered, used it more as a coat rack then a mirror, but she wanted to see how she looked. A slightly quivering hand yanked a grey sweatshirt from it.

The first thing Erica noticed was the flaws in her skin. She scowled at them, at the inconsistencies and redness. Then she noticed how wild and mangy her hair looked, frizzy and blonde. The girl smoothed it down with a frown. It didn't cooperate, but then it never did. Slowly her self-esteem began to dwindle as she began to fuss over her hair, over the bags under her eyes and how her stomach wasn't perfectly flat. Sighing, her brown eyes flickered over the bra -too tight- and the panties –too loose- and she bit her lip. The girl looked as awkward as she felt and with a hint of frustration she grabbed the sweatshirt and pulled it on, covering her offensive body from her sight.

Downstairs, Gloria was very seriously considering sticking her head in the oven. She vaguely wondered if it would kill her, but she was fairly certain it was electric and thus not a proper means of suicide. The brunette glared at it through her fingers. Her blush had only grown since Erica left the room and frankly, it was beginning to piss her off a bit. With a huff, she hopped off the counter she was sitting on. Gloria still wasn't sure just why she had asked Erica to put on her underwear- the girl probably though she was some kind of pushy pervert and complied out of fear.

Then she remembered the mischief in the younger girl's brown eyes, the wickedness in her smile and Gloria swore as her blush grew darker. She didn't feel any of the dread or discomfort Erica did about whatever it was that was happening between them. Mostly Gloria was just surprised it was happening at all. She had expected to go her entire life without ever being attracted to, well, anyone. Her doctor had assured her that it was perfectly normal, that some people simply never had those feelings and there was nothing wrong with that. Her mother had suggested she was a late bloomer, but accepted whatever she decided to identify as and her father was just happy she wasn't getting pregnant anytime soon.

Her apathy towards sex hadn't gone unnoticed at her old school and had even caused her some trouble there. Gloria felt her stomach churn and her chest tighten. She could admit the idea of sex still scared her a bit. Vaguely, she hoped Erica didn't expect anything from her. The brunette clenched her jaw and wondered if she had led Erica on. She liked Erica. She didn't want the younger girl to be mad at her if she…couldn't perform.

Gloria was still in the midst of her own thoughts when Erica crept down the stairs. She eyed the brunette from the doorway of the kitchen, puzzled by her tight posture and nervous expression.

"So," Erica cleared her throat. She had put a baggy sweater on over the other girl's undergarments and a pair of pajama pants. When Gloria's gaze whipped over to her, she didn't miss the disappointment or utter _relief_ in the older girl's gaze at the sight of her. The blonde's stomach turned and she dropped her gaze to the floor. Clearly Gloria thought she was repulsive too. Licking her lips, she rubbed the back of her neck. "What'd you want to do now?"

Gloria frowned at the sight of her. Erica had been cocky and flirty when she'd gone upstairs. She was holding herself differently now; shoulders hunched and expression meek in a way that made Gloria feel a bit sick. She had pushed her- she had made the younger girl uncomfortable and she felt like shit for it. The last thing she ever wanted to do was make Erica uncomfortable.

Shaking off her disgust, Gloria offered, "I brought some movies." She forced a grin. "None of which are PG-13, I swear."

Erica returned the expression as best she could, but couldn't shake the image of how relieved Gloria had been from her mind. "That sounds great. Which ones?"

"Carrie. And the sequel, but not the remake." Gloria pointed at her. "I know you have no point of reference, but that movie was absolute shit."

Erica smiled at her attempt at levity and the older girl suppressed a real smile. The blonde could tell by the dimple in her cheek. Relaxing a bit, the younger girl nodded. "Okay, sounds good."

"Awesome, but-"

The pair stiffened at the crash of thunder. The lights flickered overheard, but didn't go out as Jinkens let out an enraged yowl. Gloria sighed at it. The blonde snickered at the older girl's frustration but merely nodded toward the den. "Go on, I'll make some popcorn."

"Cool," The brunette all but chirped, "I'm gonna go kill your fucking cat."

Erica rolled her eyes as Gloria slipped out of the kitchen. She popped a bag of microwavable popcorn in and sighed. The blonde wasn't sure whether or not she should be thankful that Gloria had lost interest in her- assuming she ever had anything akin to attraction toward Erica in the first place. She supposed the older girl could've just been looking to experiment- she was probably straight, Erica reasoned. Probably just trying to be nice and make the school basket case feel a bit better of herself.

She was only there for the project. Erica wasn't stupid or naive enough to think the brunette could ever really like her. She knew Gloria would be gone soon enough and she would be back to being the school loner. Or rather, they would both be back to being the school loners.

The microwave dinged and she threw its contents into a bowl. Sucking in a deep breath, she moved into the den. Gloria had set up the movie and was now sitting on the floor with an ashtray on one leg and Jinkens on the other. Both the girl and the cat looked woefully unimpressed with the situation, but neither moved as Erica entered. They both just looked at her.

"Why doesn't it realize I don't like it?"

Erica shrugged and dropped to the floor beside her. "He doesn't like the storm."

Gloria chuckled, letting her head fall back against the couch as she raised an unlit cigarette to her lips. Talking around it, she joked, "You keep saying that, Blondie. It's gettin' a little old."

Erica forced down a smile at the nickname and looked at the screen.

It was filled with naked women. Just… nothing but naked women. Naked women in the shower. Naked women getting changed. Naked women in towels. Nothing but naked women.

A blush crept up the younger girl's neck and she snuck a peek over at Gloria. The brunette didn't seem particularly bothered by the gratuitous amount of nudity. Erica resisted the urge to sigh, noting that there was no flush on Gloria's cheeks or interest in her eyes at the sight of the women. She was probably straight, the blonde reasoned, a hint of a frown tugging at her lips. Leaning back against the couch, she swallowed down her disappointment.

"So…" The older girl cleared her throat. "How'd they fit?"

Erica blinked. "Huh?"

"The clothes I loaned you." Gloria met the blonde's shocked gaze. A bit embarrassed herself, the brunette barely managed to keep her expression cool and neutral as she let her head fall back on the couch. A bit of her dark hair fell from her pink bandana, framing her cheek as she peered over at the Reyes girl with what she hoped was coming off as curiosity and not eagerness.

"Oh, well, uh…" Erica bit her bottom lip before deciding to bite the bullet. With a shrug, she told her, "The bra's a bit tight and the underwear's a bit big."

Hazel eyes widened. "You're still wearing them?!"

Cheeks painted a painfully flustered red, the blonde began to stammer and sputter. "I- You- but- wasn't I suppose to keep them on?!"

"I'm just surprised." Gloria fought a grin, but the dimple in her left cheek gave away how pleased she was. "I mean, you put your old clothes on so I thought maybe you changed your mind."

"Oh. No, I'm wearing them."

"Okay." The brunette nodded and pointedly looked back at the screen. If she didn't, she'd no doubt rake her eyes over every inch of the blonde's form, imagining what was underneath her frumpy clothes and make the poor girl even more uncomfortable than she already was. "Sorry they didn't fit like I thought they would."

Erica lifted an awkward shoulder. Not wanting to think about how she looked, how disappointed the brunette would be in how Erica looked in Gloria's expensive lingerie, she looked back at the screen. "My body's never been very co-operative."

"Do you mean the epilepsy or the fact that _someone else's_ underwear didn't fit you?" When Erica didn't answer, Gloria continued, "I didn't expect them to fit like a glove or anything, Blondie. I mean, we're similar in size but it's not like we're identical. There's nothing to be self-conscious about. I'm sure if I tried to fit into your panties, they wouldn't fit either. It doesn't mean anything." A wicked smile curved over the brunette's lips. "Well, except that you have bigger tits than me. But there's nothing wrong with that, Reyes."

Erica smirked softly at her. Her brown eyes fell to the older girl's mouth as she raised her cigarette once more to her lips. Biting her bottom one, the blonde shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

After a moment, Gloria let the smoke from her lungs slip past her teeth. Arching a brow at how intently Erica was watching her, she told her, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I mean, if you're uncomfortable, you can change."

"I'm okay."

"Are you sure?"

Erica nodded firmly.

Gloria smiled at her. "Okay then."

**A/N: No offense intended with Erica's gay panic stereotyping. **


	9. Cherry Bomb

"Ugh."

"What?" Erica looked up from her magazine curiously.

Gloria was splayed out on the floor atop a makeshift bed once again, but this time one thing was very different from the previous night. Jinkens was seated on the older girl's chest, apparently completely unaware of Gloria's distaste for him. Erica smirked as the brunette gently pushed the cat away, only to have it crawl back on top of her. When she rolled onto her stomach, Jinkens followed, settling between her shoulder blades and yowling his irritation for her new position directly in her ear.

"Get him away from me!" The brunette yelled at the blonde, her menace slightly dampened by both the cat and the fact that her words had been muffled by a lacy pink pillow adorned with kittens.

Erica grinned crookedly. Teasing, she offered, "He likes you. Get used to it."

"Fuck this," Gloria grumbled.

She tilted her body until the cat slid off it(growling and clawing at the girl's tank top before landing on the floor a mere six inches away), then hopped to her feet. She grabbed her blankets and pillow and threw them on the bed beside Erica. The blonde looked concerned, or maybe a bit affronted, as she crawled on to the mattress beside her.

The Reyes girl pursed her lips as the brunette settled against the wall. "Is this your way of telling me you want me on the floor?"

"No. This is my way of telling your cat to go fuck himself," Gloria replied, twisting around in an attempt to get comfortable. She glanced over at the blonde as she arched her back. "You don't have to go anywhere."

A faint blush filled the blonde's cheeks. "Oh. Okay, cool."

Jinkens glared at them from the floor. There wasn't enough room on the full bed for him and he began to yowl. Erica glared at him and petted the spot next to her feet. The ginger tabby looked displeased, but joined them on the bed. Settling between his owner's ankles, he glared at the Spruce girl begrudgingly. Gloria stuck her tongue out at him before leaning against the blonde's white cavendish-style headboard.

The room was sparsely decorated with shades of whites and pale pinks. Very feminine and admittedly, a little immature for a girl of fifteen. Gloria supposed that was Diana's doing, so she said nothing on the matter. It was really no surprise that Erica hadn't been exposed to skimpy underwear, Gloria thought. That was rather unfortunate. It might've been something to help make her feel a bit more comfortable in her own skin, made her feel a bit more like a young woman and not a little girl. She snuck a glance over at her. Erica was looking down at the fashion magazine with interest, but was clearly not actually reading it.

The brunette felt the overwhelming need to snatch it from the blonde's hands. It occurred to her that the younger girl seemed to have a lot of those magazines lying around and vaguely wondered if she was comparing herself to the girls in them. The thought irritated her, but Gloria didn't comment. Instead, she just shuffled down to lay on the bed.

Erica glanced at her. Gloria had slipped out of her bra and what was once covered with black cups was now bare, exposing an expanse of clear pale skin beneath her maroon tank top. She didn't linger on it, or on how tight the thin cloth was or how she could see the slight swells of the older girl's nipples or how the bottom of the singlet had ridden up, flashing a few inches of her stomach and hips, showing off even more of that wonderful skin. Swallowing thickly, she closed her magazine tightly.

"Maybe we should get some sleep."

Gloria blinked in surprise. It was only ten o'clock- basically evening to the Spruce girl, but she supposed Erica had to stick to a certain routine for her medication, so she brushed it off without comment. "Alright. Keep that animal away from me."

The blonde offered her a tight smile and set her magazine on the table next to her before turning out the lamp. Darkness descended over the room and the cat gave one last mew as his owner settled down. Body tense and mind rattled, Erica laid down on her stomach next to the brunette, facing into her room and away from her classmate.

For a few seconds, neither said a word before Gloria broke the silence. She cleared her throat. "You're okay with me being up here, right?"

"Yeah, of course."

"I mean, you offered last night." A concern crease formed between her hazel eyes as she felt Erica shrug. "I just assumed the invitation still applied."

Amused by the older girl's almost formal wording, Erica smirked into her pillow. "It's fine."

"Okay. Well, night."

Her smirk fell. Weren't girls supposed to stay up during slumber parties? Gossip and tell stories? Maybe she'd been reading too many magazines, but Erica couldn't help but feel a little put out. She hadn't turned off the light to shut Gloria up, just out. At least, how she looked and how she made the blonde _feel_, out. Licking her lips, Erica chanced a glance over her shoulder at Gloria. She was still on her back, with one hand under her head and from what she could tell with the minimal light, the Spruce girl was still wide awake.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Hm?" Gloria looked over at her.

Erica shifted, moving to lie on her stomach. She peered at the older girl with curiosity, but her cheek still rested on her pillow as she asked, "Where'd you learn all that stuff?"

"What stuff?"

Erica shifted on the bed, tucking her pillow under her chin as she elaborated, "That craft stuff."

"After I got expelled it took a while to find a school that would take me." The brunette lifted a shoulder and moved to put a hand under her head. "Me and my mom spent a lot of time together. I worked in the store for a bit and ran the kiosk she has in the mall."

"You two are close, huh?"

"Yup."

The younger girl smiled at her in the darkness. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a mama's girl."

"You would've pegged me as a criminal."

Erica's stomach fell at Gloria's emotionless tone and watched with a frown as she turned, rolling on her side to face the wall.

Voice stiff, the brunette ended the conversation with a stiff, "Goodnight, Erica."

"Goodnight," She murmured in reply, voice meek and chest tight as she stared at the older girl's back. Biting her lip, she forced down a sigh before she got settled.

Eventually, the two did fall asleep.

In the morning, Erica was first to rise. She had rolled onto her back during the night and was surprised to see that Gloria had shifted as well. The brunette was still rather close to the wall and there were a few inches of space between their torsos, but one of Gloria's hands was draped over Erica's stomach. Erica's _bare_ stomach. Her night shirt had rolled up a touch in her sleep and now Gloria's hand rested just below her ribs on the side closest to her. The blonde blushed and chanced a glance at the older girl's face, but it was clear she was completely out. Carefully, she went to move it. The moment she touched her wrist, Gloria's fingers twitched and Erica bit back a moan as the calloused skin of her fingertips raked over her sensitive skin. As much as she wanted to keep that hand exactly where it was (and her mind went to several places she would like it to be), Erica really had to pee, so with as much care as she could muster, she eased it gently onto the bed beside her.

Swallowing, she peered down at the older girl. Gloria looked a lot different when she slept. A lot less menacing, obviously, and a lot more her age. With no harsh make up and no scowl, the girl looked almost peaceful. Of course, Jenkins had to ruin the mood by crawling onto the sleeping teen's back and pawing at her loose dark hair.

Erica quickly retreated from the room before she could be caught staring. She made her way to the bathroom and quickly went pee, then washed her hands. Plucking her toothbrush from its holder, the teen sighed at her reflection. Her hair was a mess; frizzy from sleep and she debated hopping in the shower. Not completely comfortable leaving Gloria alone in her bedroom for too long, the blonde decided against it. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, grimacing slightly at the dark bags under her eyes, before she opened the medical cabinet. It had been a while since her last seizure… Staring down at the little yellow pills in the container, she shrugged and put the cap back on them without bothering to take one.

When she got back to her room, Gloria was awake, but barely. The brunette was propped up on one elbow, petting the ginger tabby that was curled into her side with a frown on her lips. She stopped once she realized she was being watched and Erica smirked slightly at the hint of embarrassment on the older girl's face at being caught.

"Morning," the blonde greeted. She moved over to her dresser and grabbed a change of clothes.

Gloria nodded at her back, still a bit sluggish from her restless night's sleep. "Morning."

"Are you heading home today?"

The brunette shrugged and raked a hand through her messy hair. "If you want me to."

"Well, there's no rush or anything," Erica assured her. She turned to face her, making sure to keep her eyes on her face and not at her chest. "If you don't have plans, that is."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly ten."

"Hm. We should check our soap." Gloria kicked her legs over the edge of the mattress.

Erica faltered slightly at the dismissal of her offer. Her grip tightened slightly on the socks in her hands, but she nodded none the less. "Yeah. Okay, just let me get changed."

"Okay." The brunette raked her hands over her eyes. Still a bit dazed, she asked, "You have a bathroom downstairs, right? I left my duffle bag down there."

"Yeah, right beside the laundry room."

"Cool." Gloria stood. She extended her arms over her head and let out a moan, listening to her bones crack and groaning at the feel of her muscles stretching after a long night's rest. Not noticing Erica's gaze slipping to the exposed bit of stomach, she rocked up on her tiptoes. "You mind if I throw a load in? If I'm spending another night I'll need something for school."

A grin broke out across the blonde's lips before she could stop it. When the older girl glanced at her, she tried to suppress it. She failed. Biting her bottom lip, the Reyes girl ran a hand through her frizzy hair.

A hint of a blush flitted over Gloria's cheeks before she left the room. Erica smirked to herself and began to get dressed.

Downstairs, Gloria made a beeline for the kitchen and came across a very surprising sight. A man of about forty five sat at the island, sipping a coffee and reading a newspaper. He didn't look up as he spoke, "Morning, Sweetie."

The brunette gawked at him. Her hazel eyes flickered to the pink duffle bag was on the floor a few feet from him and she debated whether or not to speak before she moved to grab it. Without a word, she walked over to it.

This time the man did look up. His jaw dropped at the unfamiliar young woman and he quickly raked his eyes over her form- taking in her wild brown hair and tense features, her tight fitting clothing and short basketball shorts before he managed to stammer out, "Wh- wait, who the hell are you?!"

"Maybe you should ask your wife," Gloria growled at him. She rolled her eyes and threw the bag over her shoulder as she stalked to the half bath.

"_Excuse me?!"_

At the sound of her father's voice, Erica froze. With a horrified flush, she quickly yanked on her sweatpants and t-shirt before she all but ran down the stairs.

Her dad was banging on the bathroom door, his voice loud and stern as he demanded the young stranger come out.

"Dad!" Erica shrieked. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Erica, go back upstairs!" Paul Reyes shouted, still banging on the door with one fist. "I'll handle this!"

"Dad!"

He blinked in surprise as his daughter grabbed his arm and forced him away from the door. "Erica!"

"Gloria," A low voice joined with sarcasm through the door.

The blonde began to shove her father back. "Dad, leave her alone!"

"You know her?!" He snapped, clearly shocked and maybe even a bit irritated.

"She's…a friend from school." Erica explained, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

His eyes widened as he asked with wonder, "You have friends?!"

His daughter blushed faintly. "Dad."

"Sorry- I just…didn't know we had company over."

Gloria piped in with a snide, "Maybe you would if you had been home all weekend."

Paul shot the door a dirty look, but at Erica's pleading features, didn't comment. Instead, he asked if Diana knew about their visitor. When his daughter confirmed she did, he sighed. Rubbing his forehead, the man asked, "Well, when are her parents coming to get her?"

"Mom's going to drop us off at school tomorrow," Erica replied meekly. "We're doing a project together."

The man pursed his lips as Gloria opened the door. She was dressed in a black tank top and the very top of the cups of her zebra striped bra could be seen. Her pants were tight and dark, clinging to every inch of her legs. Her dirty clothes in one hand and duffle bag in the other, she looked at Erica first before raking her gaze over her father with distaste. With a hint of a sneer, she looked back to his daughter. "Where'd you say the laundry room was?"

Erica nodded behind her. "Come on, I'll show you."

The brunette nodded and sidestepped Paul Reyes with only a dirty look. The man clenched his teeth, but merely glared after her. It darkened further at the marijuana leaf emblem on the back of her top. With a shake of his head and a roll of his eyes, he made his way back to the kitchen.

As Erica led her into the laundry room, she shut the door tightly behind her. "Sorry about that."

"I may have instigated it." The brunette opened the front loader machine and frowned at her. "He didn't even look up to address you."

The blonde shrugged and hugged herself. Leaning against the small shelf of laundry products, she admitted, "Yeah, we're not close."

"I picked up on that." Gloria grabbed a bit of detergent and looked away as she asked, "Any particular reason how come?"

"He works a lot…I think my, uh, illness, kind of puts a kink in his job."

"Well, how dare you," The Spruce girl teased, glancing over her shoulder to wink at Erica. "It's not like it's completely out of your control or anything."

At the tiny smile that pulled at the blonde's mouth, Gloria went back to doing her laundry.


End file.
